Perceptions And Experiences Of Nursing Students And Faculty Members Regarding Implementation Of The BS-Nursing Programme.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the perceptions and experiences of nursing students and faculty members regarding the implementation of the baccalaureate nursing programme in public-sector setting. Methods: The descriptive, exploratory, qualitative study was conducted at the Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, Pakistan, from April 15, 2020 to April 15, 2021, and comprised undergraduate nursing students and faculty members. Because of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, the subjects were interviewed through telephonic call using a semi-structured interview guide. Data was analysed using the Creswell's analysis approach. RESULTS: Of the 15 subjects, 10(66.6%) were students aged 21-24 years; 7(70%) males and 3(30%) females. The remaining 5(33.3%) subjects were faculty members aged 25-45 years and with teaching experience of 1-18 years; 2(40%) males and 3(60%) females. A total of 85 codes and 17 categories emerged under 5 major themes; programme positive impacts, curriculum revamping, students' challenges, faculty challenges, and recommendations. The participants believed that the four-year undergraduate nursing programme would improve the profession and quality of nursing care. Some perceived challenges were also pointed out regarding the curriculum, faculty, infrastructure and learning resources. Conclusion: Through the provision of an updated curriculum, qualified teaching faculty, appropriate learning resources and proper infrastructure, the undergraduate nursing programme can be successfully implemented in Pakistan.

Exploring the experiences of the older adults who are brought to live in shelter homes in Karachi, Pakistan: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The traditional joint family system in a culturally diverse Pakistani society shows great respect and care for older population by the families and their generations. However, in the recent years the phenomenon of population ageing in Pakistan is rapidly increasing due to demographic shift influencing life expectancy, along with changes in socio-cultural values. This transition has resulted in institutionalization of the elderly as an emerging shelter alternative. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of the elderly people and to identify the reason which compelled them to reside in these shelter homes. METHOD: A qualitative methodology, with a descriptive exploratory design, was adopted for the study. A purposive sample of 14 elderly males and females were selected, from two different shelter homes in Karachi, Pakistan. Semi-structured interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Content analysis was done to extract the themes and comprehend the data. RESULTS: Content analysis revealed five major themes: the circumstances of leaving home, experiences, and challenges to wellbeing before entering the care facility, coping with challenges, and decision to live in a shelter home. The analysis discovered that the elderly were experiencing lack of physical, psychological, emotional, and financial support from their family and children. It also indicated that migration of children for better career and employment opportunities, entrance of women into the workforce, and insensitive behaviour of children, left the senior citizens neglected and helpless. The findings also uncovered the challenges of unemployment and family disputes that the elderly had to face made them dependent, distressed, helpless, and lonely resulting in both their apparently willing and forceful decision to reside in shelter homes. CONCLUSION: The findings point to need for further investigation of the identified areas in this study through qualitative and quantitative researches. There is a dire need for increasing public awareness through the social, electronic, and print media, and providing capacity building training to HCPs for the care of the elderly. The lobbying group can act as a catalyst in persuading the government officials for the execution of a policy on retirement, day care and subsidized provision of health services for the betterment of the elderly.

Beyond the classroom walls: Stakeholder experiences with remote instruction in Post RN baccalaureate nursing program during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative inquiry.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of educational campuses and the suspension of conventional classroom teaching globally and locally, and many switched overnight to an online modality. The change was experienced differently by varied audiences, given the availability of resources. The study aimed to examine stakeholders' experiences of emergency remote instructions in the Post-RN Baccalaureate Nursing Program during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative descriptive exploratory design with a purposive sampling technique was used at a private nursing university in Karachi, Pakistan. Focus group discussions with students and faculty were conducted separately, while in-depth interviews with key informants were held using semi-structured interview guides. The focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were recorded electronically and transcribed and translated, coded, and analysed manually. Findings uncovered two major themes. (a) Remote teaching and learning-a paradigm shift; and (b) Remote learning ecosystem-a challenging team sport. The first theme denotes a major shift in pedagogical approach migrating from blended learning model to a complete online modality. Theme two uncovers the efforts and teamwork of the various stakeholders who assisted in mitigating the challenges collaboratively when migrating to virtual learning environment. Findings suggest that to continue to thrive in the post-COVID world, faculty, students, and key informants must collegially enhance the teaching, learning, and assessment strategies and student-teacher interaction, capitalising on evidence-based practices, trial and error, multi-level support mechanisms, and partnerships. The study recommends building resilience in instructional and administrative infrastructure to prepare for future events like pandemics and suggests development of evidence-informed blended and online nursing programmes in the region.

Violence against women in Pakistan: contributing factors and new interventions.

Pakistan ranks 125th out of 169 countries on the Gender Development Index and has high prevalence rates of Violence against Women (VAW). Contributing factors toward gender based violence at the micro, meso and macro levels include the acceptability of violence amongst both men and women, internalization of deservability, economic disempowerment, lack of formal education, joint family systems, entrenched patriarchal norms and values, and a lack of awareness of legal and other support systems. These factors have a long-lasting impact on the health of women and children. The gender disparities in the experience of women seeking health care in Pakistan are well-recognized and documented. In the past, common government policy responses to these disparities have included developing the role of community health workers (CHWs) and lady health visitors (LHVs). Despite being commendable initiatives, these too have been unsuccessful in addressing these multi-faceted disparities. Within this complex scenario, new interventions to address VAW and its impact on health in Pakistan include Group Counselling, Economic Skills Building, Health-Based Microfinance, and Family-Based models that increase male involvement, especially at the primary health care level. The purpose of this article is to outline key contributing factors to VAW, explore tested and new interventions, and highlight the opportunities that exist in implementing them.